Button loop



- 0a; 26, 1943. a H L ELL 2,332,626

BUTTON LOOP Filed Feb. 6, 1943 Patented Oct. 26, 1943 George Henry Ewell, New Haven, Conn, assignor toEaasternTooland Manufacturing Company,

' Bloomfield, N. J., acorpora.tion* v ap iitaanrebm ry e, 1943,,seriai No. 474,955 i-ciai isi (or. ge -224) This invention relates to button Ioopsadapted to be clipped over a button to-supporta garment upon which the button is attached and more particularly to that class-ofbutton' loops of the rigid type. r r

The objects of the invention are to provide for the rigid type; of button loop a certain resiliency; and to provide for such button loop a constricted throat portionadapted to expand momentarily for the passage therethrough of the shank of a button,

With reference to the accompanying drawing, the Figure 1 is an upright view of the device in normal condition before admitting the shank of a button into the constricted throat portion; the Figure 2 is a side view of the device; the Figure 3 is a view similar to that of the Figure 1, but i1- lustrating the shank within the expanded throat portion; and the Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective View on an enlarged scale of a detail part.

With particular reference to the accompanying drawing, the button loop comprises the wire structur having the upper horizontal bar 2 of the strap loop I and the horizontally aligned and relatively spaced lower bar sections 3 and 4. Integrally depending from both of the bar sections 3 and 4 are the companion arms X formed together to provide the button-receiving loop 5 and the button-retaining loop 6, intercommunicated by means of the constricted throat portion 1, the wire terminals 8 of the arms X meeting at an inclined angle to provide the seat 9 for the shank N! of an inserted button (not illustrated), the extremities ll, of the said terminals 3, each being flattened, overlapped, bored and secured, one to the other, by means of the pivot pin I2. The pivot pin I2 is fitted into each of the bores or perforations l3 of which intersecting diameters are equal and with which each wire extremity ,l I is alike provided for a simple pivotal connection thereof.

In operation, a button (not illustrated) is inserted within the button-receiving loop 5, and the shank IQ of the button having, for instance, an outside diameter of five-sixteenths of an inch, rests at the entrance of the constricted throat portion '5 having only an inside diameter of less than that of the outside diameter of th shank Ii). By means of a slight manual urging, the shank it) may be made to expand and pass through the constricted throat portion 1 and into the button-retaining loop 6 to become seated within the seat 9. However, when the shank I0 is urged to return through the constricted throat portion 1 and back into the button-receiving loop 5*, it requires a slightly greater urging to accorne plish that return.-

This form of button loop, following'as it does the well-known rigid type of. structure; save for the pivoted wire; extremities Hgu relies" for its patentability upon that pivotal peculiarity in giv ing a certain resiliency, to: the otherwise usual rigidity, to make possible an easy passage of the button shank it one way therethrough and a slightly more difficult passage the opposite way, the reason for which is about to be explained with reference to the Figure 3.

Taking the pivot l2 as a center C, an arc A in- V tersecting the interfacing curved portions of the relatively aligned horizontal bar portions 3 and 4, and a second are A intersecting the constricted throat portion "I, each arc A and A defines opposite' directions of yielding movements of the companion arms X due to their slight pivoting upon the pivot pin l2 as the shank II], in its passage from the button-receiving loop 5, is urged through the constricted throat portion 1. In the Figure 3, the full lines of the companion arms X, intersected by the arcs A and A, illustrate the yielding position of said arms in contrast with their normal dotted position at such intersections, thereby intended to give an idea of said yielding movements of the companion arms X which results in an increased inside diameter of the constricted throat portion 1 sufiiciently to permit an easy passage of the shank l0 therethrough. It will be noted however that while the urged passage of the shank H] from the buttonreceiving loop 5 into is coordinate with the downwardly inclined yielding movements of the relatively aligned horizontal bar portions 3 and 4, the return passage of the shank ill from the button-retaining loop 6 to the button-receiving loop 5 is not so readily aided by the downwardly inclined yielding movements of the bar portions 3 and 4, but is somewhat opposed thereto, therefore, comforming to the best requirements of a button loop, the shank Ill is thus easily passed into the button-retaining loop 6 and is there held against accidental release by means of the slightly more diflicult return passage through the constricted throat portion 1.

A further advantage of the improved button loop above described resides in the fact that it provides a semi-rigid structure having sufficient permanent resiliency to restore itself to a normal condition wherein the constricted throat portion 1 retains such an inside diameter as to normally prevent the passage of the shank l0 therethrough the button-retaining loop 6 unless momentarily expanded passage thereof.

I claim:

1. A button loop comprising a single length of wire providing in a common plane a strap loop and relatively associated button-receiving and button-retaining loops, said associated loops having between them in said plane a constricted throat portion, the free ends of the Wire being relatively overlapped; a perforation, having intersecting diameters of each overlapped end is alike provided; and a pin under an urged equal length, with which fitted within said perforations to provide a simple pivotal connection therebetween. i

2. A button loop comprising a single length of Wire of which the central portion provides the upper bar of a strap loop having substantially 3. A semi-rigid wire button loop structure including a strap loop having substantially parallel upper and lower bars and integral companion arms terminating in a button-retaining loop provided therein with a recessed seat for the shank of a button and accessible only by way of a constricted throat portion of said arms; a perforation with'which each of the extremities of said arms is alike provided, intersecting diameters of each perforation being equal in length; and a pin fitted within said perforations to provide a simple pivotal connection therebetween permitting a slight rotary movement of said extremities about said pin;.whereby the passage of a shank parallel thereto aligned lower bar portions sup- Y porting relatively associated button-receivin and button-retaining loops in a common plane and having between them a constricted throat portion; flattened endswith which the wire is provided for relative overlapping thereof; a perforation having intersecting diameters of equal length with which each flattened end is alike provided; a pin fitted Within said perforations to provide a simple pivotal connection therebetween; and a recessed seat zwithin the retaining loop for the shank of a button.

of a buttonthroug'h said constricted throat por- 'tion is assisted by said rotary movement.

4. A semi-rigid wire button loop including a strap loop and companion arms terminating in a buttonretaining loop provided therein with a recessed seat for the shank of an inserted button; a constricted throat portion of said wire at the entrance of said retaining loop; a flattened portion with which each of the extremities of said arms is provided; a simple pivotal connection with which the flattened portions are relatively provided; whereby the passage of ashank of a button is made'possible by said pivotal connection.

GEORGE HENRY ELWELL. 

